Alkylolamides of the acrylic acid series and their polymers



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Film Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware No Drawing. Application October 16, 1945,

' Serial No. 622,701

l 8 Claims. (Cl. zoo-89.7) Thisinvention relates to amides of acids of the the-presence of a suitable solvent, such as methacrylic acid series and their polymers. More paryle'ne chloride or chloroform. However,- the presticularly, the invention relates to new monomeric ence of the solvent is not necessary since polycomplexes of N-di-substituted amides of acrylic merization occurs in its absence, but it is desiraand a-substituted acrylic acids and to the new I bletouse the solvent for itssolvent action. polymers obtained therefrom. e A preferred embodiment. of my-invention in- N-dialkyl-o-substituted acrylamides donot polvolves the use 01 boron trifluoride in the form of ymerize under ordinary conditions of light, heat, an etherate, which may be represented by the.

or peroxide catalysis. As pointed out in U. S. formula BFa.(C2H5)20, as the electron acceptor. Patent 2,311,548, granted to Jacobson et al., in 10 This may be used in any amounts but only that order to polymerize acrylic acid amides which are portion of the monomer converted'to the complex substituted in the a-position, it i necessary that polymerizes and the electron acceptor does not the amide must have one hydrogen atom on the function as a catalyst for polymerization except nitr en- While N- ialkylm flcryl mides s. when used in an amount in excess of the amount for example. N-diethylmethacrylami m y be required to react with all the monomer to form interpolymerized with methyl methacrylate, the the complex. Accordingly, it is preferred to use N-dialkyl a-substituted acrylamides alone have the Friedel-Crafts halide in at least an equimonot heret fore been successfully polymerized. lecular amount with the monomer being'polymer- It is 91110118 the objects of my invention to proized. It is, however, particularly advantageous to vide new monomeric complexes of 'N-disubstiemploy the boron trifluoride in slight excess of tuted o-substituted acrylamides which are readily the equimolecular amount since the use of ultrapolymerlzable. violet light or catalysts for polymerization is then It is mon he fur h r jects of my invention not required. In this case the excess of boron tritO Provide a highly effective pr c f r p ym rfluoride acts as a catalyst to facilitate formation izing N-disubstituted-o-substituted acrylamides. of the polymer. when equimolecular quantities It is a further object of my invention to proof the Friedel-Crafts halide are utilized, it is prefvide a method for polymerizing N-dialkylamide erable to add a small amount of a catalyst, such monomers and monomers containing an amine as benzoyl peroxide or an ozonide, to carry out the substituted amino group. polymerization. Instead of the use of such a cat- A more particular object of my invention is to alyst, ultra-violet light maybe utilized for'the provide a. method for polymerizing N-methyl-N- ame purpose, p-ethanolmethacrylamide and N-diethylmethac- While my process is particularl effective in rylamide. the polymerization of N disubstituted a-sllbsti- A cording to my invention, the above objects tuted acrylamides, it is also highly efiective for are accomplished by reacting the a-substituted N- polymerizing any acrylamide which is difficult to disubstituted acrylamides with an electron acpolymerize by any of t well known polymerizaceptor to form a. monomer-electron acceptor tion methods. Thus, it is highly effective in polyc mp ex and th n polymeri in the m rmerizing N-methyl N p ethanolacrylamide,

complex. -By the term electron acceptor, I which though having a hydrogen in the a-posi- ,mean Friedel-Craits halides (i. 8., inorganic haltlon, does'not. polymerize very readily when using ides which promote Friedel-Crafts condensation the conventional methods as, for example, ultrareacti ns) as. f r xampl b r n trifluoride, boviolet light or heat or the usual oxygen-containron trichloride, tin, zinc, an im y, mercury, iron ing catalysts; My invention also finds use in and aluminum chlorides. These halidesform polymerizing monomers containin an amino or complexes with the N-di-substituted acrylamides N-substituted amino group.

w h n be e ly p ly rized- If desired. The following attempts were made to poly-' after treatment of the acrylamide monomer with merize N-methyl-N-fl-ethanolmethacrylamide by the Friedel-Crafts halide, the polymerization may conventional methods:

- be readily carried out by means of an oxygen cata. 25 parts of the monomer were dissolved in alyst, such as, for example, potassium persul- 100 parts or water and subjected to ultra-violet fate or catalyzed by irradiation with ultra-violet light while a stream of nitrogen was bubbled l ht. Polymer ati n ay be a s carried out y through the solution. After a week, there was heating the monomer-halide complex with a catno polymerization. 0.1 part of benzoyl peroxide alyst, such as an organic peroxide, for example, was added to the solution and the solution heated benzoylperoxide, diethyl peroxide, or an ozonlde. to 100 C. After a week of such treatment, there However, by employing the electron acceptor in was still no polymerization;

excess, the use of othercatalysts or ultra-violet b. The monomer was sealed in an evacuated light may be eliminated. tube and subjected to ultra-violet light. After If desired, the treatment of the monomer with two weeks of such treatment, no polymerization the Friedel-Crafts halide may be carried *out in occurred.

weight unless otherwise indicated.

0.5 mmpressure and sublected to ultra-violet light. After a month, no olymerization had occurred.

d. parts of evacuated tube containing 0.05 part of benzoyl peroxide and subjected to ultra-violet light. The material became yellow but had not polymerized after three weeks. g

e. 1.23 parts oi the monomer were dissolved in parts of water. treated with 0.5 part of glacial acetic acid and 0.1 part of benzoyl peroxide and then heated under'a current of hydrogen at 100 C. No polymer had formed after a week.

I. The same procedure as in examples a-j when carried out on- N-diethylmethacrylamide failed to produce a polymer from this compound.

However. following the procedure of my invention. N-disubstituted a substituted acrylamides are readily polymerized as illustrated by the following examples in which the parts are by Example 1 A portion of N-methyl-N-p-ethanolmethacrylamide was treated with an equimolecular quan-.

tity of boron triiiuoride etherate and an equal volume of methylene chloride. The monomer boron trifiuoride complex which formed was subiected to ultra-violet light at room temperature. After irradiation with ultra-violet light for a week, a polymer was obtained in good yield as a white solid on washing with acetone.

Example 2 2.20 parts of-N-diethylmethacrylamide were treated with 2.75 parts of boron trifluoride'etherate and 7.1 parts of methylene chloride and the solution placed under ultra-violet light at room temperature. After four days, considerable polymerwas obtained'in the form of a white precipitate.

Example 3 lI-methyl-N p ethanolmethacrylamide was treated with a slight excess of boron triiluoride and permitted to stand. After a period of a week, a polymer in good yield was obtained.

Example 5 The same procedure was followed'as idExample 2, but an equivalent amount of N-dipropylmethacrylamide monomer was utilized. A polymer in the form of a white powder was obtained. N-dibutylmethacrylamide was polymerized in the same manner.

Examples Q 3.2 parts of N metlwl-N-p-ethanolmethcrylamide were treated with 4.2 parts of boron trifiuoride etherate in the presence of 8.35 parts of methylene chloride. There was suiiicient methylene chloride to dissolve the monomeric amide-boron triiiuoride complex which formed.

The solution was permitted to stand for 48 hours at room temperature. A gelatinous water-insoluble polymer formed.

the monomer were sealed in an asosmr c. A portion of the monomer was distilled at Example 7 2.0 parts of N methyl-N-p-ethanolmeth acrylamide were treated with 4.25 parts of boron trifluoride etherate in the absence of methylene chloride. The preparation was permitted to stand at room temperature for 48 hours. A.

white, water-insoluble polymer formed. Example 8 y 5 To a solution of equal volumes of N-methyl- N-ethanolmethacrylamide and methylene chlotained after 24 hours. The polymer was washed with an ammonia solution.

Example 9 Example 10 -20 parts of N-methyl-N-p-ethanolacrylamide were treated with 30 parts of boron triiluoride etherate in the presence of 100 parts of methylene chloride and the resulting solution of,

dissolved -3.10 parts of N-methyl-N-ethanolmethacrylamide and 0.20 part of boron trifluoride etherate. After 48 hours at room temperature no appreciable change occurred in the monomer. j

Likewise 2.85 parts of N-diethylmethacrylamide was treated with 020 part of boron trifluoride etherate and 7 parts of methylene chloride. and subjected to. ultra-violet light at room temperature'for 96 hours. mained unchanged.

N methyl N-ethanolmethacrylamide monomer may be prepared by reacting one moi of methacrylyl chloride with two mols of N-methylethanolamine in the presence of acetonitrile.- N-methyl-ethanolamine hydrogen chloride pre-.

cipitates and the solution of" N-methyl-N- .ethanoimethacrylamide is separated therefrom by filtration. The monomer is then recovered by distillation. The process of preparing the monomer forms the subject matter ofmy co pending application Serial No. 622,'702, filed on.

' October 16, 1945.

In general. my process is applicable to the formation of monomer-halide complexes from acryla'mides having. the following formula to the polymerization of such complexes and H phenyl; -cyciohexyl,. methylcyclohexyl, methylphenyl'; or halogen, such as chlorine; Rf is an ll aliphatic or alkyl radical, such as methyl, ethyl,

The monomer reeta: alkylol, such as -C2H4OH, C:HOH; cycloaliphatic, such as cyclohexyl; aryl, such as phenyl; or aralkyhsuch as benzyl. R2 is hydrogen; alkyl, such as methyl, ethyl, etc.; alkylol, such as -C2H4OH, C3HsOH; cycloaliphatic, such as cyclohexyl; aralkyl, such as benzyl; or aryl, such as phenyl. R1 and R2 taken together with the N atom may also represent a heterovcyclic group, such as piperidine or morpholine.

However, my process is highly effective when utilized in the polymerization of compounds in which R is substituted by alkyl, aryl, or cycloaliphatic; and in which R1 and R2 are both substituted by aryl, aralkyl aliphatic, alkyl or hydroxy alkyl radicals. In this case, R1 and R2 may be alike or dissimilar as, for example, R1 may be ethyl, methyl, or propyl and R2 may be an alkylol, e. g. C2H4OH, -C3H6OH. While the invention has its greatest advantages when applied to the polymerization "of these compounds, it may be applied in the polymerization of acrylamides in general or monomers having an amino or N-substituted amino group.

The temperature of polymerization may be varied within any desirable limits. It may be carried out at room temperature or below or at any other catalyst or ultra-violet light.

Thepolymers obtained by my process may be utilized for coatings which are highly resistant to water. They may be also molded and shaped and machined to any desired form.

The above detailed description and examples are merely by way or illustration and it is to be understood that any modification or variation therefrom which comes within the spirit of the L invention is intended to be included within the scope oi the claims.

I claim:

l. The method which comprises catalytically polymerizing a monomer-halide complex obtained by treating a monomeric N-disubstituted amide of the class consisting of N-methyl-N-B- ethanolacrylamide and a-substituted acrylamides having the formula:

kyl and aryl radicals. and the divalent pentamethylene and oxydiethylene radicals, which. with the N-atom. form piperidyl, and morpholinyl rad-- icals, respectively; with a Friedel-Crai'ts halide to form a complex of the halide with said monomer. such polymerizatiorr'iorming a halide-polymer complex which yields a polymer of said amidemwaahingwithammonia n.

2. A process as defined in claim 1, wherein said monomer-halide complex is obtained by treating said monomeric amide with at least an equimolecular amount of said Friedel-Crafts halide.

3. A process as defined in claim 2, wherein said Friedel-Crafts halide is boron trifluoride.

4. A process as defined in claim 2, wherein said monomeric amide is N-methyl-N-B-ethanolmethacrylamide and said Friedel-Crafts halide is boron trifluoride.

5. A process as defined in claim 2, wherein said monomeric amide is N-diethylmethacrylamide andsaid Friedel-Crafts halideis boron trifluoride.

6. A process as defined in claim 2, wherein said monomeric amide is N-methyl-N-p-ethanob acrylamide and said Friedel-Crafts halide is boron trifluoride.

'7. A process as defined in claim 1, wherein said monomer-halide complex is obtained by treating said monomeric amide with an amount in excess of an equimolecular amount of said Friedel-Crafts halide, and the excess halide serves as the polymerization catalyst. r

8. A method of preparing a polymer of an N- disubstituted amide of the class consisting of N- methyl-N- 3-ethanolacrylamide and a-substituted acrylamides having the formula:

' wherein R represents a member of the class consisting of halogen, alkyl, and aryl radicals, and wherein the nitrogen substituents represented by R1, R2 are radicals of the class consisting of monovalent alkyl, alkylol, cycloaliphatic, aralkyl and aryl radicals, and the divalent pentamethylene and oxydiethylene radicals, which, with the N-atcm, form piperidyl and morpholinyl radicals, respectively, which method comprises catalytically polymerizing a monomer-halide complex, obtained 'by treating a monomeric N-disubstituted amide of the afcresaid'class with an at least equimolecular amount of a Friedel-Crafts halide, and washing the resulting halide-polymer complex with ammonia solution to remove the halide from the polymer.

Gm D. JONES.

REFERENCES. crrnn The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

OTHER REFERENCES 'Bowlus et al.. "Jour. Am. Chem. 800.," 58, pages 8885-3840, October 1981.

Brown et a1,

' (104:) pp. m and us.

Great Britain July 23. 193d Abstractin Chemical Abstracts, vol. 82, p. v

Jour. Am. Chem. Boa." vol. 04 

1. THE METHOD WHICH COMPRISES CATALYTICALLY POLYMERIZING A MONOMER-HALIDE COMPLEX OBTAINED A TREATING A MONOMERIC N-DISUBSTITUTED AMIDE OF THE CLASS CONSISTING OF N-METHYL-N-8ETHANOLACRYLAMIDE AND A-SUBSTITUTED ACRYLAMIDES HAVING THE FORMULA: 